Skip to content
KLUNK
KLUNK

2016 Nissan Altima

The Verdict

23 Check Engine

The 2016 Nissan Altima has 552 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are transmission (192 complaints) and body (132 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 23/100, it earns a "Check Engine" rating. If you're shopping for a Nissan Altima, consider the 2025 model year which has 98% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2025 has 98% fewer complaints

View the 2025 Nissan Altima dashboard →

23

Klunk Score: Check Engine

More complaints than most vehicles. Known issues exist — budget for potential repairs.

How is this calculated?

The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.

Get notified if a recall hits this car.

We email you when NHTSA issues a new recall on the 2016 Nissan Altima. No spam, no marketing.

Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
20005012426210
200158535695
20021872710871723
200317589059020
20047983414411
20054553110441982
2006300197037163
200719871928750
2008593841878872
20098063749312586
201014125985957
20118212404760
2012111168982127
201366638958199443
20142982150997183
20152582144886136
20161329116103192
2017107199756110
20187944651522
2019832949608
20206717394412
202120202072
202263452
2023104861
2024263363
202530111

By Category

Transmission
192
Body
132
Electrical
116
Engine
103
Brakes
9

By Severity

1
275
2
244
3
3
4
29
5
1

Worst Problems

Compare Against

See how the 2016 Nissan Altima stacks up against rivals.

Complaints

Transmission 1

To recap: •Nissan manufactured defective transmissions. •Nissan granted me a warranty extension with a fleeting expiration date (2023) to shift the cost away from them. •In 2020, Nissan performed work on my car. The work they performed masked the problem, didn’t fix it. And it deferred the problem, “kicking the can down the road.” •In 2026, Nissan denied my claim for goodwill approval. •I paid for a piecemeal fix on the car, leaving all the other transmission components still at risk. •My car, with 44,000 miles, is not safe.

26d ago
Electrical 2

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the driver's side headlight had become inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with an internal headlight failure, and it was determined that the headlight assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.

1mo ago
Transmission 2

My 2016 Nissan Altima has approximately 68,900 miles. When I am stopped and press the gas pedal, the vehicle sometimes hesitates before it begins moving. It does not accelerate normally, which is dangerous when I am pulling into traffic, crossing an intersection, or making a turn. At other times while driving, the vehicle will not accelerate properly and appears to become stuck in a low gear. The engine RPM may rise to approximately 4,000, but the vehicle does not shift or increase speed normally. Turning the vehicle off and restarting it may temporarily make the problem go away, but it can happen again without warning. There is currently NO CHECK ENGINE light or other warning light that has ever come on. So I had the auto parts store attach an OBD-II scanner and the ONLY error code was P0776. This prompted me to research further and that is when I learned of the CVT issues with Nissan. Because the loss of acceleration and failure to shift are intermittent, I cannot predict when the vehicle will hesitate or fail to respond. I am concerned that I could be struck by another vehicle if this happens while entering traffic, crossing an intersection, or attempting to maintain speed.

1mo ago
Electrical 1

There is an active recall for the generic 2016 Nissan Altima OCS sensor, but it does not apply to my specific VIN apparently. This sensor is a problem with other vehicles of the same year, make, and model, but I am apparently on the hook for almost $1000 repair cost because the recall did not extend to my VIN. Again, same year, make, model, and issue as other 2016 Nissan Altimas, but the recall did not extend for some reason.

1mo ago
Body 2

Hood popped up while driving and smashed windshield and did additional body damage. Secondary hood latch safety mechanism was non operable according to mechanic who looked at it after incident. Hood latch was replaced as part of recall in 2022. Spoke to Nissan but they are dismissing because there is no open recall and because it was already fixed. Many online comments about others dealing with this same issue of failure after repair and Nissan not taking responsibility.

1mo ago
Electrical 4

Upon impact driver's side and passenger side airbags did not deploy.

1mo ago
Electrical 1

The headlights on this vehicle are very dim because of a defect by the manufacturer. The inside of the headlight has delamination and causes the lights to be very dim which is a hazardous situation when driving at night. A recalled was issued, but has since expired. Dealer wants to charge over 1800 to replace both headlights.

1mo ago
Body 1

3 days before the incident the check engine light came on but went off the next day. I was driving home from an overnight shift on Sunday, July 5th when I heard a loud boom the car instantly began to sound like something was dragging on the ground, the car was shifting right no matter which way I turned the steering wheel. I pulled over checked underneath the vehicle noticed this piece dragging I immediately called a tow. A mechanic took a look and stated the control arm has snapped and deemed the car unsafe to operate. I am financing this vehicle and it has only been a year even with routine maintenance and the upkeep of the vehicle since about a month or 2 after purchasing the vehicle I’ve been having major issues

1mo ago
Transmission 1

My daughter was driving down the road and came to a 2-wayy stop. Went to pull out and the car stalled and started shuddering. On down the road leaving a red light it did the same thing and not wanting to really go.

2mo ago
Electrical 1

Headlights on vehicle are very dim and often do not appear to be on causing bright lights to be used in replacement. Lights are not burnt out.

4mo ago
Body 1

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle was difficult to control at higher speeds. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the rear passenger’s side wheel was misaligned, and the rear control arm was fractured and had detached. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and it was determined that the rear control arm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 211,000.

4mo ago
Electrical 1

My headlights are not putting out very well at all. I have to drive on high beams at night to be able to see which I’m sure is disrupting others driving but when I have my lights on low beams it’s almost like my lights are off or like fog lights. It’s super dangerous. This is been going on for months and I have to avoid driving at night all the time because it’s so bad.

6mo ago
Body 1

Drivers side window & door latch does not work. door latch has to be push in after it opens the door & window will not go now.

6mo ago
Engine 1

Delayed gear change from 1st to 2nd/delayed acceleration 1-5 seconds mid-traffic because the car overheats soon after driving which causes the car to not properly accelerate causing more RPMs than necessary during longer drives with frequent stops (within urban/suburban areas).

6mo ago
Electrical 2

This vehicle has unusually dim lights that have gotten worse over time, the local dealership told me I missed the recall on the headlight assembly

7mo ago
Body 2

Subject Safety Defect Complaint Recall Repair Refusal and Manufacturer Delay Nissan Altima 2016 My 2016 Nissan Altima is subject to a safety recall related to the hood latch cover The hood latch cover on my vehicle is defective and stuck which caused the hood to become completely locked shut This defect creates a serious safety hazard because the hood could unexpectedly open while driving putting me my family and other road users at risk I contacted and visited two authorized Nissan dealers multiple times to have the recall repair performed Both dealers refused to repair the vehicle unless I personally opened the hood first I explained that the hood cannot be opened due to the recall related defect and that attempting to force it open is unsafe The dealers still refused to perform the recall repair I then contacted a third party service AAA but they refused to work on the vehicle stating that opening or driving the vehicle with a compromised hood is extremely dangerous and that this issue must be handled by the manufacturer and its authorized dealers I contacted Nissan North America directly to seek assistance Instead of resolving the issue Nissan has repeatedly delayed action stating that my case is still pending dealer approval I have been told many times that there would be updates but no solution has been provided I was informed multiple times that the case is delayed and that there is currently no resolution available As of today my vehicle has been undrivable for more than one and a half months due to this unresolved safety defect I am afraid to drive the vehicle because it poses a real danger to my safety and the safety of my family This situation has caused significant stress and hardship I am filing this complaint with NHTSA because an authorized dealer is refusing to perform a required safety recall repair

7mo ago
Body 1

Icc stopped working

8mo ago
Electrical 2

Headlight lowbeams are dim. Replaced with new bulbs, no improvement. Headlight lens are crystal clear from being clear vinyl wrapped when purchased new.

8mo ago
Electrical 1

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with curtain air bags failure. The dealer provided an estimate for the repair, and the contact was informed that the cost of the repair would not be covered because the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 102,464.

8mo ago
Engine 1

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond while the engine was running. The contact stated that the vehicle responded and returned to normal functionality after depressing the accelerator pedal several times. The contact stated that the failure was more evident while driving in cold weather. No warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

9mo ago

552 total

1/ 28
Report a Klunk